symptoms of annoyance

Here's what's happening with me, and I don't know if it's supposed to.

1. it's the petz #3.
2. It's like rubbing the bow across a glass brick.
3. if there's a good bit on the bow (to the point that the bow will slightly squeak when applying) and the strings are clean, it will bite for about 5 minutes. After that, the sound is the only thing that bites.
4. it cakes up on the strings leading me to believe I have too much on the bow.
5. If I refrain from applying rosin, and keep the strings clean, after about a half hour the bow feels like it is just skating by the strings, and it seems I need to mash the bow into the strings to get them going (which don't seem right)
6. it does not warm up and grip better, it seems more like it scrapes off and lets go.

I'm thinking it's either not the right kind or not good if it is the right kind, but it seems I need some new stuff. any suggestions?

I'm not playing a 10 thousand bill set up, but it shouldn't be this inconsistant, shouldn't it?

"Glass brick?"
First, don't be a cheapskate. You will probably stick with your next decision for many years after this initial experiment.
Try "Pops" first. Your experience with it will tell the rest of us what your problem is, if you have one after using that stuff. After Pops, you may want to try a cake of Carlsson as an addtional frame of reference. Please report your results to us here in this forum. I think it ma be a pretty good test.

I dig the Nyman's. I only need to apply it about every 3 hours of solid bowing (or less). Doesn't do the stuff you're talking about. If you shell out for the good rosin its a small investment in comparison to the saved aggravation.

Man, I love to use and fight to get better with the bow...so rosin is a big deal for me too. I've gone through exactly what you're going through Eugene, and I don't have a 10 grand setup either. I can share this much with you:

I've tried Pops and many other rosins. I have never tried Petz. However, I now put rosin on my bow once every couple of days...maybe not even for a week during this time of year. If I'm not starting strings it's not because I think I don't have enough rosin right off the bat or I've failed to use the right rosin formula, it's because I'm doing something wrong with my bow...going too fast or too slow, putting too much weight or not enough weight on the string, bowing too close or far away from the bridge for the note I want to play, not stopping the string with enough power, etc.

So don't throw your money away on 10 different rosin cake labels like I first did. Save that money and use your annoyance to drive you to seek a lesson with a good teacher who also uses the bow, and let him/her show you how the bow/rosin combination really works. That's what I finally did, and I haven't regretted it since.

Maybe you're way past all of this...but at least is my experience. Hope it adds value to the Nymans/Carrlsons/Pops purchase.

I'll try a different kind (pops, nymans, which ever one I can find in this po'dunk town). And I'm planning on re-bowing instead of re-hairing but that's a completely different paint job. I'll let you know how both goes.

After 10 years of touring, I'm getting out, going back to school, and going to learn how to play this thing. (sometimes I like to do stuff the stupid way) So I'll be starting my "lessons" this fall.

ok, I got the carlsson rosin. Pretty sure at least, that's what they told me it was. It's a gold foil covered narrow stick (a good bit smaller in diameter than the old sruff) in a little draw string sack with no writting on it any where.

It's definitely better than Petz, sounds a lot smoother and catches the lower strings better. I at least feel that some of the squeaks and scratches are the things I can work on eliminating now.

On a side note, I heard someone say that bass rosin should be a good bit soft. An indication should be that if you pressed your thumb onto it with some pressure you should be able to leave a print. Is this correct? Because the new stuff I have is also hard as a glass brick and a bit brittle. They had Pops also.

Naw, my aint soft at all. Also - just to correct what I said about re-applying every three hours. I apply rosin when its necessary - and since I bow only about 1/2 the time I practice, its fairly infrequently - once a week at the most. The way you know is when your bow slides silently across the strings

my carlson rosin came in a little blue canister with the name on the top. I don't know what you bought. Carlson is denser than pops, but mine takes a finger print. If your rosin comes odd like white powder they probably sold you cello or violin rosin- not so good, but still better than that petz junk.

I think mail order is the way to go, it will always be more fresh, but you have to wait until fall or winter.

We should have some kind of online buyer's guide with pictures. These little shops are so worthless- some of the big ones are too.

Good to see you've binned the Petz. But now that you're onto some decent rosin, you've still got a toxic waste dump of the old stuff to clear out.

From the sound of your initiating post in this thread, in addition to crappy rosin to begin with, you're also suffering from bow crud. Months or years of struggling with too much bad rosin can leave the hair (and strings) impregnated with a sort of glazed, aged rosin gunkification. Even the best rosin is not going to work well on top of this mess. If you haven't yet got around to "re-bowing" or rehairing, (and maybe re-stringing) then a good cleaning all around will make a world of difference.